-
The SH Membership has gone live. Only SH Members have access to post in the classifieds. All members can view the classifieds. Starting in 2020 only SH Members will be admitted to the annual hunting contest. Current members will need to follow these steps to upgrade: 1. Click on your username 2. Click on Account upgrades 3. Choose SH Member and purchase.
-
We've been working hard the past few weeks to come up with some big changes to our vendor policies to meet the changing needs of our community. Please see the new vendor rules here: Vendor Access Area Rules
Save your money on “Scent Control”
- Thread starter bowhuntr09
- Start date
I am glad these guys did this. It is unbelievable how much money people invest into scent control. I for one am a big believer in playing the wind in the woods because Deer are ultimately going to smell a foreign odor. You just got to minimize it as much as possible by being down wind from where you believe the deer are.
People don't realize how much scent they put off. Unless you wear a self contained biohazard suit, you're putting off scent. You're shedding thousands of skin cells every second .
Or do as much scent control wise as possible and play the wind. Not sure where the anti-scent control people hunt but I've never hunted somewhere that the wind blows the same direction for the duration of a hunt. Why would you not do both?
I think that any scent control experiment during the dawg-days of summer in Hotlanta, GA is going to be deeply flawed. But regardless ... I'm a firm believer in the title of this thread.
The only spray I use that I have personally seen a difference on is Scent Loks carbon field spray. Way less busts than with Scent away or DDW.
My brother and I have raised and trained big game hounds our entire life, a good cat hound can take a track 12-24 hours old in -20 degree temps buried under 6” of snow, I haven’t watched the above video yet but I will, and I assume it will confirm my opinion on this subject. It’s super hard for us humans to grasp the power of some of these animals noses, a good strike dog will and can wind a track 8’ in the air while tied to the back of a dog box in a moving truck at 30 mph. What chance does a hunter have perched in a tree at 20’ fresh off of eating a bag of Doritos, none, zero.. Can scent be minimized, maybe, and that’s a big maybe, eliminated not a chance. Hunt the wind and most importantly plan your approach better, the 2 things we can somewhat control.
Yeah Field & Stream magazine did something very similar several years ago on one of their shows and no matter what they did the K9 Police Dog found the box the guy was in. That's when I really stopped giving a crap about scent control and just play the wind/thermals and yes @Topdog, access is super important. I do like to walk through cow plops or deer turds on the way in I also walk through any moving water I can find before my final approach but I don't go looking for it if its not on my path in. I also use unscented laundry detergent, unscented soap and I will use spray either scent killer or DDW but nothing else. I trap and know what a coyote's nose knows and we aren't about to fool a big old whitetail buck either.
Waste of time/money in my opinion. I understand where you’re coming from in limiting what you can control, but I’m not gonna shell out money to get a bottle with water in it. If it gives you confidence then rock on.
There are other items that make up scent control than the bottle of water you mention though. I don't use that stuff either
Obviously my prior post was done prior to me watching the video. They referenced the very Field & Stream video I posted about. This was great.
Crack a bottle of Gusto for cover scent!!! I keep mine in 2 ziplock bags in the wood shed and man that stuff still escapes, when Fisher prices are up every trail and seasonal road around here smells like Gusto lol
I love the annual scent control threads. It means deer season is very close. 
Good point. Just for discussion, is there something in particular you use that you feel helps?
Scent free detergent on all my clothes, not just hunting clothes. Its nothing huge but it's better than when I used to use regular detergent and then turn around in the next load and wash hunting clothes using scent free detergent but the washer still has residue from prior wash. Scent free soap/shampoo shower right before hunt. Keep clothes in sealed tote (must have rubber gasket and seal tight). Dress in the field. No boots or hunting clothes in stores/restaurants etc. Normal stuff but it's all part of scent control in my book.
He was wearing Crocs for crying out loud. I probably could have sniffed him out 9 out of 10 times.